.

[MiBrassFS]

.

[BramJ]

Trying to beat Bloke to it, I'm sure he will recommend this one

https://www.k-m.de/en/products/music-st ... ack?c=3514

As for 'latest': https://kraftgeek.com/en-eu/collections ... 4ZI-SEbxAa

Didn't try it, so no idea if this is the 'greatest'

[gocsick]

I have one of these and can’t say enough great things about it.
https://www.amazon.com/Vekkia-Sheet-Mu ... J33RX?th=1

Stable base.. comes apart and goes together easily.. gets tall enough to use while standing with sousaphone… perforated deck handles wind well.

Most importantly the base works well with a cup holder (https://swirlygig.com/shop/ols/products ... for-1-inch). This one easily holds a pint of beer in a proper glass pint (or a water bottle if that is your thing).

Negatives - The stupid little arms that are supposed to hold down music are worthless and fell off and got lost almost immediately.

[russiantuba]

I use my Manhasset non folding stand that I bought new in 1999. Except for my college years where I was at school, this stand has served me well through daily use (I actually kept it in the tuba storage room during one of my degrees since that was a good practice room.

We were required to have a metal, collapsible stand in 6th grade, and I think my sibling stepped on it and it got destroyed. Every time I’ve used ones of those, I can’t write on music (our music library contributor has stated that we should write on our parts with a hard surface and not on other music) , and they do a subpar job at holding music, and do nothing in the wind.

I have figured that if I’m having to use 2 tubas, a tuba and a mute, or as with Pictures at an Exhibition, 2 tubas and a mute, a stand will be provided. When I have to provide a stand, it’s going to be a 1 tuba gig.

I should note when I go to gigs, I normally travel alone and don’t have kids, so space isn’t a concern in the car.

[bisontuba]

Good bang for the buck...

https://ebay.us/m/MQiSto

[bloke]

I rarely play where I have to supply my own stand thankfully, but the only drawback to now using hard cases for all my instruments is that there isn't a place to store even something as tiny as my excellent K&M model 101 stand, which looks attractive when assembled and folds up to only, 14-3/4" x 2-1/2" x 1-1/2", and offers several clever built-in features (including a place that sticks up in the center specifically for a stand light, and the way that extensions mount on the top corners - so they can both act as arms to hold down the music as well as arms which can alternately extend out to support four pages).

I chose the black versus the chrome, as I can spray-paint cheap paper folders flat black on the front and back, and that - plus the stand - offers a nice professional appearance.

I did find a second (used chrome) one online that I picked up for $13 which included postage. I think it's nice to have a spare, just because I tend to misplace things temporarily (particularly since I rarely use a portable stand)...and also it's nice to have one in the other car... so actually the way that I discourage myself from misplacing them is to just keep both of them in the two cars.

I would never consider another portable stand, nor one that didn't fold up as small as this one. Back when I used bags, I rolled a hand towel around this one and put it in the side pocket, when I needed it.

[arpthark]

I have a K&M 101 that I use regularly and it definitely does the job, but it’s a bit flimsy for a full folder of band music (IMO).

I picked up a “Vekkia” stand similar to what Mark J. linked above. I’ve always preferred that type, with the big desk.

[Dopey]

I love my hercules -https://herculesstands.com/products/mus ... ds/bs118bb

I had always used the classic thin fold up one and always found them a bit too flimsy for my liking.

The hercules is bulkier, but I have no complaints. One of the brass bands I play in you bring your own stand, so it's brought to/from weekly. Also nice it came with it's own bag, making it easier to carry than the flimsy ones without a bag.

I also use it when doing christmas carols around the city in the winter, no issues.

*I think* some folks have the KM 101 that was linked, i'd say it is in between the super flimsy sheet metal folding one vs the one I linked. In terms of sturdiness/compactness.


(Full disclosure, I do have a fixed Manhasset at home. So the hercules stays in the trunk for rehearsals -- that is more so I don't forget it, rather than lack of desire to carry it around :D)

[Mark]

Manhasset Voyager

[bloke]

I have a K&M 101 that I use regularly and it definitely does the job, but it’s a bit flimsy for a full folder of band music (IMO).

Typically, the folder is below my chair, and I pull up one piece of music at a time...This includes indoors with hall-owned "concert" non-collapsible stands...

...and sure: for the rehearsal or concert, they're in order, and - when a piece has been played, that is stuffed into the left side of the folder while pulling out the next tune in the right side of the folder or (if indoors with no breeze) simply below the folder

Again - thankfully, I rarely play where my own stand is required (typically quintet nursing home jobs and outdoor jobs.) Most non-large ensemble jobs are with bands (jazz/polka/random) where no one has any pieces of paper.

The k&m 101 has another cool feature:
If it's just a little bit too windy so as the quintet or what have you really shouldn't be playing outside but they are, the legs are skinny enough so as they can be stabbed into the dirt a few inches, rather than having to be weighed down with concrete.
Also, there's not a single set position for the tripod wire base, so I could actually stab them down and nearly parallel vertically into the ground if I wanted to.
I can lock down the tension screw for the tripod base in this nearly-vertical position, and jab all three legs down into the ground:




the new-to-me "band-director band"...BOTH the rehearsal hall and concert halls are this-way-close-by and that-way-close-by from the loading dock...' my kind of "concert" band ...and (well...) only six or seven tunes (since most things they play are multi-movement-ish with only one or two one-mv't ballad-ish or guest-soloist-ish things - probably to offer the patrons "trumpet relief"). I keep those in a while bubble-wrap envelope with my phone number on the outside in magic marker, and - after the concert (since printed off pdf's) I toss them in the trash on the way back to the loading dock.

[Yahnay-san]

In the “OK for the money” category there’s the Gleam stand (look at Amazon or online shop of choice) for $25 or less. It’s a decent steel stand with a sold desk that can be removed for transit, handy for paper music held down with magnets (the stand has built in springy steel wire arms of dubious utility) or a tablet with magnetic case. I paid $5 for mine from a thrift store and while I would not have sought it out except for the “why not give it a shot” price, I would not feel cheated at full price. I was skeptical of the solid desk, but the encumbrance versus a folding desk is more than offset by ease and security of use IMHO. For comparison I have used decent fold up stands with perpetual mild frustration, tried a dedicated tablet holder and hated it.

[dgpretzel]

.
.
.
As for 'latest': https://kraftgeek.com/en-eu/collections ... 4ZI-SEbxAa
.
.
.

I used a Desca stand for 20 years, until it finally broke (but I can't stand (!) to discard that wonderful base). I would have bought another one, but they changed the design to something that was flimsy, and then, later, stopped manufacturing it completely. I guess folks weren't willing to part with the bucks for a high quality stand.

When I need to use a portable stand now, I use the one above. It is EXTREMELY light weight, yet very sturdy. It doesn't twist or move like the "wire-frame" portable stands. And, I just wrap it in my towel (that I always use everywhere) and carry it in the bell of whatever instrument I am using (621F or BBb). IOW, no problem packing it in any case. Also, it is all a single piece, so nothing to lose. It opens quickly and painlessly. It doesn't sag, or sink (if you have a heavy fake book).

Did I mention it is very light? :)

DG

[Inkin]

I thought everyone just uses a Manhasset they stole from their college 20 years ago with the college name still spray painted on the deck.

[bloke]

I thought everyone just uses a Manhasset they stole from their college 20 years ago with the college name still spray painted on the deck.

this

[dgpretzel]

I thought everyone just uses a Manhasset they stole from their college 20 years ago with the college name still spray painted on the deck.

Yeah, but try stuffing one of those in your bell (in your case or gig bag).

DG

[tubatodd]

I thought everyone just uses a Manhasset they stole from their college 20 years ago with the college name still spray painted on the deck.

24 years ago....

[anadmai]

I thought everyone just uses a Manhasset they stole from their college 20 years ago with the college name still spray painted on the deck.

I stole my Manhasset from a Church.

[MiBrassFS]

.

[bloke]

There's a really large school system near me that is known to throw things in the trash responsibly from time to time, perhaps even more often. One time I drove back by the music repair shop and picked up about 40 or so Manhasset stands. Perhaps one or two weren't repairable but maybe those two made one nice stand. Maybe two or three more had a couple of minor folds that I smoothed out nicely, and maybe a few more had nasty words scratched into them - or names. I repainted all of them with satin black rattle can paint and hit the decks extra heavy with the decks horizontalized, so I could float paint over any names or filthy word scratched into them. I sold them to a full-time orchestra as reconditioned/excellent.

I'm thinking - around 18 years ago - I brought home about a dozen King fiberglass sousaphones from their dumpster and hung them up in the barn. I think a university had donated them to the school system and the superintendent of the maintenance dept. felt insulted - perhaps racially or something (??) - and had the repair personnel throw them all in the dumpster.

I fished them out and - one by one - fixed them up and sold them. The lacquer on the valve sections was all good enough to just leave as it was with some touch-ups. I sold three of them to a super-elite local private school that probably charges $35,000 a year in tuition (plus tons of miscellaneous extra fees, and parents are expected to donate additional money as well).

[the elephant]

I must use a stand light most of the time these days. I also am taking my heavy folders with me more often, opting to save the time needed to fish out and separately pack the needed music for most quintet work.

I have used the excellent K&M 10065 stand since 1993. I own about ten folding stands, and only this one has been used for work. All of the others have drawbacks, either multiple or major, so none of them ever get dragged to work because the 10065 or OG Manhasset stand goes with me. Honestly, if you have to carry a stand, why use something that is flimsy when the Manhasset is just as easy to carry in your hand. For when I need a *real& stand I use a *real* stand. Otherwise I have always picked up the K&M 10065 as I load up the vehicle for work.

The K&M has been to over 3,000 performances (probably a lot more) and still works perfectly. Over the last 32 years, all of us in my two quintets use these, and our only failues have been a few of the plastic feet and two or three of the tension knobs have diappeared or broken, and all have been replaced with cheap, new parts from K&M. (I own three of these, one of the 101s beloved by bloke, and the lightweight model with the C channel legs, which I hate.)

Having read this thread from one end to the other I decided to give the Hercules a try and received it yesterday. It is excellent. I only worry that the plactic release button for height ajustment will fail. Also, the deskangle "clutch" has no way to adjust the tension and is held in place via a rubber disc, which WILL disintegrate eventually, and the design means it will not be serviceable and — therefore — rendered useless at that point. However, so far I like it a lot and will be using it for work this coming season. I'll let folks here know what I think of it in about a year. Who knows" It might last and permanently replace my beloved K&M 10065…

For reference, Joe's K*M model 101 has flat, stamped steel legs, like mose wire stands, but they are heavier and less prine to bending. My 10065 has 1/5"-per-side, steel "C" channel legs that are beefy and longer. The bodies and desks are the same: excellent.

https://www.k-m.de/en/products/music-st ... tand-black